Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging of the Anatomic Variation of Thalamostriate Vein and Its Tributaries.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Thalamostriate vein (TSV) is an important tributary of the internal cerebral vein, which mainly drains the basal ganglia and deep medulla. The purpose of this study was to explore the anatomic variation and quality of TSV and its smaller tributaries using susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI). METHODS: We acquired SWI images in 40 volunteers on a 3.0T MR system using an 8-channel high-resolution phased array coil. The frequencies of the TSV and its tributaries were evaluated. We classified TSV into types I (forming a venous angle) and II (forming a false venous angle). We classified anterior caudate vein (ACV)into types 1 (1 trunk) and 2 (2 trunks) as well as into types A (joiningTSV), B (joining anterior septal vein), and C (joining the angle of both veins). RESULTS: The TSV drains the areas of caudate nucleus, internal capsule,lentiform nucleus, external capsule, claustrum, extreme capsule and the white matter of the frontoparietal lobes,except thalamus. The frequencies of the TSV, ACV and transverse caudate vein (ACV) were 92.5%, 87.5% and 63.8%, respectively. We found TSV types I and II in 79.7%, and 20.3% with significantly different constitution ratios (P< 0.05). The most common types of ACV were type 1 (90.0%) and type A (64.3%). CONCLUSION: The complex three-dimensional (3D) venous architecture of TSV and its small tributaries manifests great variation, with significant and practical implications for neurosurgery.

Preparation of huperzine A nasal in situ gel and evaluation of its brain targeting following intranasal administration / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>The feasibility of intranasal brain targeting drug delivery system via the olfactory pathway from nose to brain was explored.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using gellan gum, a cation-sensitive gel forming excipient, huperzine A (Hup A) nasal in situ gel was prepared by pH gradient precipitation method. The pharmacokinetics of Hup A in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after intranasal, intravenous and intragastric adminstration to rats was studied using cisternal cannulation for serial CSF sampling and femoral artery cannulation for serial blood sampling. The distributions of Hup A into rat brain tissues following intranasal dosing were compared with those after intravenous and intragastric dosing by tissue homogeneization. The therapeutics effects of Hup A nasal in situ gel on cognitive function were tested in mice and rats with Morris water maze, step down test and step through test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The AUC(0-->6 h) value in plasma obtained after nasal administration was 0.94 of that after intravenous administration, but the AUC(0-->6 h) of CSF after nasal administration was 1.3 and 2.3 times of that after intravenous and intragastric administration. The AUC(0-->6 h), of cerebrum, hippocampus, cerebellum, left olfactory bulb and right olfactory bulb after nasal administration were 1.5, 1.3, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.0 of that after intravenous administration, 2.7, 2.2, 1.9, 3.1 and 2.6 times of that after intragastric administration, respectively. Intranasal adminintration of 17.5-35 microg x kg(-1) showed equal effects after oral adminintration of 70 microg x kg(-1) commercial tablets, which was in good agreement with the results of pharmacokinetics.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Intranasal administration of huperzine A nasal in situ gel significantly increased the distributions of Hup A into rat brain tissues, especially into cerebrum and hippocampus which should be the target areas of Hup A, and enhanced the brain targeting of Hup A.</p>